The Best Olive Oil Clubs

Saturday, January 16th

2021 Olive Oil Club Reviews

Fresh Pressed Olive Oil Club

• Cost: From $99 to $139/quarter for 3 bottles (8.5 oz or 16.9 oz)
• Free shipping
• $1 for a trial bottle

Created by chef and food journalist T.J. Robinson - also known as "The Olive Oil Hunter" - the Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club brings the world's most flavorful, healthful olive oil directly to your doorstep. And, the curator of this club knows his stuff, as one of just a handful of Americans selected to judge various Italian olive oil taste competitions.

2 olive oil club membership plans

This Olive Oil Club offers two membership plans:

• Small Set: for $99/quarter, you'll get 3 different 250mL bottles of extra virgin olive oil
• Large Set: for $139/quarter, you'll get 3 different 500mL bottles of extra virgin olive oil

Competitively priced

Compared with other Olive Oil Clubs, Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil is priced very competitively. Both plans also include free shipping. According to the company, all of their olive oils come to the US by jet (rather than "slow-boat cargo shipping"), ensuring that the product is as fresh as possible.

Fun, informative newsletter

With each delivery, you'll get a fun, informative newsletter that tells you about the producers, olive varieties and harvest details of each bottle in your shipment.

Try it for $1

What really amazed us is that you can try one of Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil's shipments for practically free. For just $1, the company will send you one of their $39 bottles of oil, with no further obligation, no requirement to continue the membership, and no strings attached. When you sign up for your almost-free trial, you'll also get a complimentary series of emails called "A Short E-Course in Olive Oil Love", where you'll learn more about how to enjoy and appreciate olive oil, get recipes to try with your first delivery, and much more.

100% satisfaction guarantee

If you decide to continue your membership, every delivery is protected by an ironclad 100% satisfaction guarantee: you don't even have to return the product to request a refund or a replacement. We found many comments from customers who said that they had no problems at all when a product was damaged in shipment or they needed to take advantage of that guarantee for some other reason.

Loyal customers

We also love that this Olive Oil Club has been around for many years, proving itself as an expert among similar clubs. Food lovers who have subscribed to this club for a long time rave that it's the only place they'll ever buy their olive oil, because the quality and flavor is absolutely exceptional - every bottle, every time.

Best choice

Fresh-Pressed Olive Oil Club is the best choice among membership plans specializing in olive oils from around the world. Their product is top-notch, bringing the world's finest flavors to food-lovers everywhere at prices that anyone can afford. This Olive Oil Club earns our highest recommendation.

Amazing Clubs

• Cost: $28.95/month for one 12-20oz. bottle + gourmet breadsticks
• Free shipping

Amazing Clubs has always been one of our highest-ranked companies across a wide range of membership clubs, and their Olive Oil Club is no exception. Their plan includes 1 bottle each month (12 to 20 oz) and a selection of gourmet breadsticks for dipping.

Hard to find varieties

This Olive Oil Club specializes in hard-to-find varieties of extra virgin olive oil from around the world. In the past, some of their suppliers have included Manoli Canoli, The Good Olive Co., Sogno Toscano and Tera Creta Estate. If you've never heard of them, that's probably a good thing: across all of Amazing Clubs' subscriptions, they place strong emphasis on small, boutique producers, to ensure that you get only the freshest, most carefully-crafted products.

Flexible membership options

Amazing Clubs also offers the greatest flexibility in their plan options:

• Pay in Full or Pay Per Shipment: no difference in price ($28.95/month)
• Deliver for 3/6/12 months or seasonally (every 3 months)
• Choose which month you'd like the deliveries to start (up to 11 months in the future)
• Shipping included for free on all subscriptions

Discounts and promotions

Also, this company is known for having frequent promotional offers. For example, when we were browsing the site and went to leave, we got a pop-up offering $5 off any 3-month club, $10 off any seasonal club, $15 off any 6-month club, and $30 off any 12-month club. We had trouble getting the coupon to apply on one of our orders, but customer service was responsive in helping us sort out the problem and get the discount applied. And, once you've become an Amazing Clubs customer, be on the lookout for future discounts and promotions in your inbox.

They'll Love It guarantee

The main reason this company ranks at or near the top of our lists across so many gift clubs is because of their commitment to their customers. Their "They'll Love it!" Guarantee is proof that they really want you to be thrilled, not just satisfied, with each and every delivery of olive oil and breadsticks you get. While it's been rare that we've had a problem with anything we received from Amazing Clubs, their representatives always handled any issues quickly and with a friendly, "no problem!" approach.

Fantastic choice

Amazing Club's Olive Oil Club is a fantastic choice for affordable, gourmet-quality olive oil, especially if you're looking for plans that are flexible in length and pay-as-you-go. Their long track record for customer satisfaction makes this Olive Oil Club one of our favorites.

Zingerman's

• Cost: $125 for 2 months (2 half-liter bottles)
• $200 for 4 months (4 half-liter bottles)
• $260 for 6 months (6 half-liter bottles)
• Handmade terraced olive oil dipping plates included in first shipment
• Free shipping

Zingerman's knows gourmet food. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, this company has a decades-long history of making mouth-watering breads and desserts, farmhouse cheeses, and much more - and fortunately, most of it is available for delivery direct to you!

Around the world

Zingerman's Olive Oil Club brings you what they call "rare" varieties. Although selections may vary, their products usually include a half-liter bottle from these sources around the world:

• Peranzana (Italy)
• OLV (Spain)
• La Spineta (Southern Italy)
• Agrumato Lemon (Italy)
• Roi (Northern Italy)
• Onsa's (Tunisia)

Dipping plates

Also, with your first delivery, you'll get a set of handmade, terraced olive oil dipping plates worth $30 but included at no extra charge. All shipments include free delivery (though there's a $10/delivery charge if you're sending them to Alaska or Hawaii), as well as an informative newsletter on how each oil was made and suggestions for delicious use.

A little expensive

As you might expect with a product described as "rare", this Olive Oil Club is on the spendy side:

• $125 for 2 months
• $200 for 4 months
• $260 for 6 months

Fantastic reputation

There are no customer reviews for these subscriptions on the Zingerman's website, so you might hesitate to spend that kind of money on an Olive Oil Club, not knowing what other people have said. Rest assured: Zingerman's has a fantastic reputation, demonstrated by their "Returnless Guarantee". We encourage you to read it - because it's just plain entertaining, and because you'll see right away that you don't have to worry about being satisfied with your Olive Oil Club deliveries. "We consider it an honor when you let us help fix a problem" and "the only taste that counts is yours" are just a few examples of how this company makes sure you're satisfied, either with a refund or by sending you something you'd like more.

Hand-crafted right from the source

Another cool thing we found while digging around the Zingerman's website: they taste every single olive oil they offer, to make sure the quality is still up to par. And, with few exceptions, every olive oil is sourced directly from farmers who make the products using what they've grown on their own estates - often producing only a couple thousand bottles each year. The olive oil you'll get from Zingerman's is truly hand-crafted, artisanal, and produced small-scale: definitely no fillers or dilution here.

Top shelf quality

Although their Olive Oil Club is more expensive than most, with fewer delivery/subscription options, Zingerman's is worth considering if you're looking for the highest-quality, small-batch olive oils available today. You can be assured that your culinary experience with any bottle you receive will be exceptional - or Zingerman's will do everything to make it right.

The Olive Press

• Cost: $55 plus shipping per quarter (3 bottles per shipment)

The Olive Press has received more than 600 awards for quality and was the very first olive mill in the Sonoma area of California. So, it should be no surprise that the extra virgin olive oils offered by this Olive Oil Club all come from that state - no imports.

2 olive oil clubs to choose from

This merchant is the only one that offers a membership plan that includes an option for balsamic vinegar and other "epicurean treats". Here's what you can choose from at The Olive Press:

• The Press Club: For $55 per quarter (shipped in January, April, July and October), you'll get 3 bottles of oil ranging in size from 100mL to 500 mL. You have the option of selecting "all oil" or "oil & balsamic vinegar" for your deliveries. Your membership is a 1-year agreement to receive 4 total shipments. Shipping is not included in your subscription price; your fee will depend on your delivery zip code. Alternately, you can add products to your order to reach the company's free shipping threshold of $85.
• The Amphora Club: for $110 every 6 months (shipped in March and September), you'll get an assorted variety of all Olive Press products (olive oils, vinegars, spices, tapenades and more). Your membership is a 1-year agreement to receive 2 total shipments. Shipping is included in the price of this plan.

20% wine discounts

As a member of either club, you'll get a 20% discount on other purchases at The Olive Press or their two partner brands, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards and Cline Cellars. You'll also get access to exclusive, limited oils and a higher discount on their wine club should you choose to subscribe.

Redirect a shipment

Another nice feature is that you can redirect a scheduled shipment as a gift to someone else: maybe you're going out of town when your July is scheduled, and you'd love to send a delicious surprise to a friend with a birthday. No problem: The Olive Press will even include a personalized gift message for you.

Customers rave

We'd love to know what people think of the Olive Oil Club offered by The Olive Press. Unfortunately, the company wasn't rated by the BBB at the time of our review. On the other hand, looking at customer comments about their retail locations in Sonoma and Napa, California, it's easy to see that people rave about the quality of their olive oils - so it's a logical conclusion that their Olive Oil Club would be equally reputable.

Details missing

But, when compared with other retailers offering Olive Oil Club memberships, the information provided by The Olive Press comes up short. Will you get a newsletter describing the quarterly selections, recipes for their suggested use, or information about the growers who produced the olives? What kinds of oils do they usually send? Is there a refund policy if you get an oil that just doesn't meet your expectations? Those details were noticeably missing.

Room to improve

Given the popularity and reputation of The Olive Press in general, we can recommend their Olive Oil Club - especially if you'd prefer to have all of your oils sourced from California growers. The membership is priced very affordably, and we like the options for including balsamic vinegars and other products. But, when compared with the higher-rated Olive Oil Clubs in our review, this company has room to improve with letting customers have a better idea of what they're getting with their subscription.

Gourmet Cooking & Living

• Cost: From $34 to $82/month for 1-3 bottles
• Free shipping

Gourmet Cooking & Living is based in Brooklyn and is a family-owned business dedicated to bringing the best Italian foodstuffs to their customers. Their flagship product is their Italian Olive Oil of the Month, with an exceptional extra virgin olive oil selected from a new region of Italy every month.

Born in olive oil

Fun fact: one of the founders of the company grew up on his grandparents' farm in Calabria, Italy, and his mother was harvesting olives two hours before bringing him into the world. That's why the family says he was "born in olive oil"!

Lots of customization options

Gourmet Cooking & Living allows a lot of customization in their clubs - which can make the ordering process a little confusing. You can choose between 1, 2, and 3 bottles per delivery, with shipments arriving every month or every other month. Don't get confused when you choose the box that says "shipments every month": it doesn't mean that you'll get 2, 3, 4, 6 or 12 bottles of oil in each shipment, but rather for how many months you want to receive a single delivery!

Nice gift giving option

You can also opt to have a gift box used on your first shipment: a great option if you're giving a subscription as a present (but only need the fancy presentation for the initial delivery). And, if you'd like to add the company's hand-selected, gourmet Italian Product of the Month - ranging from olives to artichokes and more - you have the ability to add that to your order for an additional $14.95.

What you can expect

Here's what you can expect to pay for your Olive Oil Club with Gourmet Cooking & Living:

• 1 bottle per package: $34
• 2 bottles per package: $59 (savings of $9)
• 3 bottles per package: $82 (savings of $20)

Free shipping

Shipping and handling are included with all memberships at no extra charge. You'll also get detailed information about the oils in each delivery: the history of the region where it was produced, tasting notes and olive oil profile, a biography of the oils' producer, and a recipe that highlights the particular oils' best features and flavors.

Website issues

When it comes to website functionality, this club has some challenges. Even though the site has been around for quite a while, its copyright date was several years old at the time of our most recent review. And at first, our selected Olive Oil Club didn't go through and the site told us our shopping cart was empty, but a second try let us get our order placed.

No satisfaction policy

Gourmet Cooking & Living also doesn't have a posted return/satisfaction policy. If you get a delivery that was damaged in shipment or an oil that just tastes off, there's no way of knowing if they'd replace it, refund your money, or simply shrug and say, "there's nothing we can do for you". There's a form for requesting to make a return, but no information about what you can expect if you fill it out.

Reasonable choice

In general, the Olive Oil Club offered by Gourmet Cooking & Living sounds like a reasonably-priced option that will be a favorite of those who want a strictly Italian selection of olive oils in their pantry. With some improvements to the website and more clarity with respect to their customer satisfaction policies, this Olive Oil Club could quickly move up in the rankings.